Sample Source
1969–1977
The Meters created the tightest funk in New Orleans from 1969 to 1977. Art Neville, Leo Nocentelli, George Porter Jr., and Joseph Modeliste (Zigaboo) built an interlocking rhythm section unlike anything else in funk — sparse, percussive, and deeply pocket-driven. Their Josie and Reprise recordings are among the most sampled in hip hop. Zigaboo Modeliste's drum patterns appear in thousands of tracks.
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Random Funk / Soul records from the Discogs database — played instantly on YouTube.
Start Digging →"Cissy Strut" (1969) is the most sampled — the opening drum hit and the locked groove between bass and organ have been used across hip hop, funk, and soul production. "Look-Ka Py Py" and "Hand Clapping Song" are also heavily sampled. The Josie Records period (1969–1971) is the most valuable. Their Reprise period (1972–1977) is also excellent and slightly less exhausted as a sample source.
The Meters played with an economy that left enormous space for samples to be used — there are sections in most tracks where single instruments play alone or where the arrangement strips back to pure rhythm. Zigaboo's drumming is metronomically precise but feels loose and human; the bass and guitar lock into each other without excess ornamentation. This means breaks are clean and usable without heavy processing.
Search Discogs by artist "The Meters" — the Josie label releases from 1969–1971 are the most sought-after. Reprise releases from 1972–1977 are more accessible. Warner Bros compilations exist but original pressings are the reference. Art Neville also recorded as part of the Neville Brothers — their catalog contains additional New Orleans funk worth digging.